2018 Pennsylvania Minimum Wage
The 2018 Pennsylvania Minimum Wage is $7.25.
Effective 2018-01-01Source: Wage FAQs (Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry)Verified 2026-09-03
Compared with 2017
Every figure on this page is unchanged from 2017.
| Item | 2017 | 2018 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly | $7.25 | $7.25 | +$0 (+0.0%) |
Who it applies to
Employers and employees covered by the Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Act
What changed this year, and why
Pennsylvania's minimum wage for 2018 is $7.25 per hour, matching the federal minimum wage under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Common questions
- What is the minimum wage in Pennsylvania for 2018?
- The minimum wage in Pennsylvania is $7.25 per hour.
When a city or county sets a higher minimum wage
The $7.25 on this page is Pennsylvania's statewide rate, and it is the one the Department of Labor & Industry enforces. A Pennsylvania city can carry requirements of its own on top of it: the department tells workers in the City of Philadelphia that additional requirements may apply to certain persons there and sends them to the city government's website to find them. What the department will not do is enforce those requirements. It says so plainly, that it does not enforce city ordinances and that you must contact the City of Philadelphia, which means a local rule is a question for the city while the statewide rate is what a complaint to the state can be about.
There may be additional requirements for certain persons within the City of Philadelphia. You can find information on the City of Philadelphia city government website. The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry does not enforce city ordinances. You must contact the City of Philadelphia.
Wage FAQs (Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry)
Overtime is paid at one and one-half times the regular rate
The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, but most workers who put in more than a standard workweek are also entitled to overtime pay. Under the Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Act, non-exempt employees must receive overtime compensation at a premium rate for every hour worked beyond 40 in a workweek. This premium is calculated by multiplying the employee's regular hourly rate by one and one-half. For example, a worker earning the federal minimum wage would receive time-and-a-half for each overtime hour. The regular rate includes all earnings such as hourly wages, salaries, commissions, and non-discretionary bonuses divided by total hours worked. Certain executive, administrative, and professional employees may be exempt from overtime requirements, but only if they meet specific job duties tests, are paid on a salary basis, and earn at least a specified weekly threshold. Job titles alone do not determine exempt status, and employers must correctly calculate the regular rate before applying the premium multiplier.
Am I an executive, administrative, or professional employee not entitled to overtime? Most employees in Pennsylvania must be paid overtime compensation. Overtime compensation is one and one-half times the employee's regular rate of pay for every hour worked over 40 per week.
Wage FAQs (Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry)
Who to ask about this rate, and where to take a wage complaint
A worker in Pennsylvania who was not paid at least the minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, or was not paid correctly for overtime hours, files the claim with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry. File within two years from the date the work was actually performed, and sooner if you can: an employer is only required to keep its records for three years, and the department's ability to collect what you are owed weakens as those records age out. A claim can be refused for reasons such as insufficient evidence, or a claim that is not valid under the law, so gather pay stubs, time records and any other documentation of the hours worked before filing.
How much Time Do I Have to File A Claim after Termination? If you were not paid at least the minimum wage or you were not paid correctly for your overtime hours, you should try to file a wage claim within two years from the date the work was actually performed.
Wage FAQs (Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry)
State minimum wage laws that give more than the federal rate
A worker in Pennsylvania is covered by the state's Minimum Wage Act and by federal wage law at the same time, and the Department of Labor & Industry states the rule for that overlap: federal law may differ from state law, and the more restrictive of the two will apply. More restrictive means the one that leaves the employee better off, so where a state rate stands above the federal one the state rate is what an employer has to pay, and where it does not the federal rate is. Pennsylvania's rate is $7.25 per hour. The department sends questions about federal law itself to the United States Department of Labor, and it notes that many issues may also be specifically addressed by collective bargaining agreements and private contracts.
FEDERAL LAW MAY DIFFER FROM STATE LAW. THE MORE RESTRICTIVE OF THE TWO WILL APPLY. CONTACT THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR FOR FURTHER CLARIFICATION OF FEDERAL LAW. MANY ISSUES MAY ALSO BE SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSED BY COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS AND PRIVATE CONTRACTS.
Wage FAQs (Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry)
What an employer may deduct from your pay
A Pennsylvania employer may make certain deductions from an employee's paycheck, but those deductions are restricted. An employer can deduct for something like a loan repayment or a third-party debt where the employee has given written authorization, and tax-related deductions are always made. A blanket authorization signed at the time of hire, meant to cover whatever deductions come later, is not valid. Most importantly, a deduction cannot reduce an employee's gross pay below the Pennsylvania minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, and the deduction must be for the employee's benefit rather than the employer's. That is what keeps a Pennsylvania worker at or above the minimum wage for the hours worked, even after agreed payroll deductions.
It is not valid to sign a "blanket" authorization at the time of hire to cover any future deductions. Further, as a rule, deductions cannot reduce your gross pay below minimum wage, and the deductions must be for the employee's benefit. What Kind of Information is My Employer Supposed to Put on My Pay Stub?
Wage FAQs (Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry)
How each figure was verified
Each number below was read from a stored copy of the document named beside it, and checked to occur word for word in the quoted sentence. The digest is of that stored text.
Wage FAQs (Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry)
- Hourly
What is the Minimum Wage in Pennsylvania? The minimum wage in Pennsylvania is $7.25 per hour.
Other years
Every Pennsylvania Minimum Wage year · Minimum Wage in every state